In this conversation, Maurice Van Rotterdam discusses the unique challenges and strategies involved in designing websites for life sciences companies. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the target audience, avoiding common mistakes, and balancing scientific detail with appealing design. The discussion also covers case studies of successful projects, technical aspects of website development, and future trends in the industry, including the impact of AI.

Chapters:

00:00 Maurice van Rotterdam’s background and the story behind Sciential
03:07 What makes life sciences websites unique
05:26 The biggest mistakes companies make with their websites
08:26 How Sciential starts a website project: analysis and onboarding process
11:40 Understanding the user journey and common UX challenges
14:59 Balancing scientific detail with accessibility
17:13 Striking the right design balance: credibility vs creativity
22:13 Case studies: Success stories in UX and design
26:07 Technical foundations: what matters most behind the scenes
28:37 Advice for early-stage biotech companies with limited budgets
31:43 The future of life sciences websites: AI and personalization

🤝 To connect with Maurice:

• Sciential's website (https://scientialmarketing.com)
• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mauricevanrotterdam/)

🎤 To connect with Joachim Eeckhout, host of the podcast:

• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joachimeeckhout/)
• Contact form (https://www.thesciencemarketer.com/contact/)

✅ Subscribe to The Science Marketer newsletter: https://www.thesciencemarketer.com/

In this conversation, Sheldon Zhai, founder of Supreme Optimization, shares how he landed his first clients, scaled his business, and navigated the challenges of building a high-growth agency. We also dive into his recent acquisitions, his vision for AI in life sciences marketing, and his approach to hiring top-tier talent—including why he insists on hiring PhD-level scientists as marketers. If you're thinking of starting your own life sciences marketing agency, Sheldon has some blunt, no-nonsense advice on what it really takes to succeed.

In this episode:
00:00 How Supreme Optimization started
03:21 Finding your first client as an agency
05:32 Common challenges for early-stage agencies
08:05 Key milestones in the growth of Supreme Optimization
10:13 Building a team of scientific marketers
12:33 Scaling up the agency through a strategic investment
17:06 Acquiring and integrating other agencies to scale up
19:36 Lessons learned from six acquisitions in two years
22:03 Scaling up your agency culture
25:33 The role of AI in science marketing
29:01 The future of Supreme Optimization
30:07 Advice for aspiring marketing agency owners
32:20 Book recommendation for marketing agencies

Books recommended by Sheldon:
- Who: The A Method for Hiring, by Geoff Smart
- The Win Without Pitching Manifesto, by Blair Enns

To connect with Sheldon:
- LinkedIn
- Supreme Optimization

To connect with Joachim Eeckhout, host of the podcast:
- LinkedIn
- Contact form

>>>Subscribe to The Science Marketer newsletter <<<

In this episode of the Science Marketer podcast, Susanna Harris discusses the importance of building communities within the scientific field, sharing her journey with PhD Balance and how it evolved into a supportive network for scientists. She emphasizes the need for authentic engagement, understanding the motivations of scientists, and the role of metrics in maintaining community engagement. Susanna also provides insights on choosing the right platforms for community building and offers advice for marketers looking to connect with scientists effectively.

Chapters:

00:00 How Susanna Harris became interested in communities
03:18 How PhD Balance turned into a real community
09:11 How PhD Balance turned into a real community
12:51 What community building looks like at Breakout Ventures
16:18 How to attract the right people to your community
18:58 Keeping a community engaged over time
21:57 The best channels for reaching scientists
29:22 One piece of advice for marketers engaging scientists
32:20 Recommended reading for community builders

🤝 To connect with Susanna:

• Breakout Ventures' website (https://breakout.vc)
• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/susannalharris/)

🎤 To connect with Joachim Eeckhout, host of the podcast:

• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joachimeeckhout/)
• Contact form (https://www.thesciencemarketer.com/contact/)

✅ Subscribe to The Science Marketer newsletter: https://www.thesciencemarketer.com/

In this episode, Sheeva Azma discusses her unique journey as the CEO of Fancy Comma LLC, where she merges science communication with political advocacy. She shares her experiences in political campaigns, particularly during the pandemic, and emphasizes the importance of scientists engaging in politics to influence policy and public perception. The conversation explores the challenges of communicating science effectively in a politically charged environment and the need for scientists to develop marketing skills to better advocate for their work.

Chapters:

00:00 Sheeva Azma’s career path: From neuroscience to politics and science marketing
02:52 How science communication applies in politics
06:34 Applying science in political campaigns
08:51 Organizing the ‘Stand Up for Science’ rally
14:13 The challenge of communicating science to political audiences
17:21 Why scientists should be part of political decision-making
19:30 Strategic lessons from political campaigns

🤝 To connect with Sheeva:

• Fancy Comma (https://fancycomma.com/)
• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheevaa/)

🎤 To connect with Joachim Eeckhout, host of the podcast:

• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joachimeeckhout/)
• Contact form (https://www.thesciencemarketer.com/contact/)

✅ Subscribe to The Science Marketer newsletter: https://www.thesciencemarketer.com/

Benjamin McLeod discusses the nuances of ghostwriting in the biotech sector, particularly on LinkedIn. He shares insights on building personal brands, the importance of providing value through content, and how using social media can increase the efficiency of attending conferences.

In this episode, you'll learn:
00:00 Introduction to Benjamin McLeod and his background
05:54 The journey to founding Convey Bio
06:54 Understanding the ghostwriting process
13:46 The power of LinkedIn for biotech executives
18:39 Maximizing ROI from biotech conferences
22:21 Building a personal brand on LinkedIn
26:16 Future plans for ConveyBio
27:17 Advice for starting on LinkedIn
30:07 Recommended reading for science marketers

Book recommended by Benjamin: Influence: Science and Practice, by Robert Cialdini

To connect with Benjamin McLeod: LinkedIn

To connect with Joachim Eeckhout, host of the podcast:
- LinkedIn
- Contact form

>>> Subscribe to The Science Marketer newsletter <<<

In this episode, Teja Sirec, founder of Biotheia, shares her insights on building effective marketing teams in life sciences and biotech companies. She discusses the essential priorities for new marketers, the importance of establishing robust processes, and how to create a strategic marketing plan that aligns with business needs. Teja also emphasizes the significance of measuring marketing success and focusing on effective channels for startups, while sharing valuable lessons from her early marketing experiences.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
02:34 Teja's background in scientific marketing
08:13 Where to start as a new science marketer
10:23 Establishing marketing processes early on
13:46 Defining priorities as a new marketing hire
18:57 Building a strategic plan for the long term
25:30 Measuring early marketing success
29:00 Marketing channels worth investing in early on
32:28 Advice for early career marketers

📖 Books recommended by Teja:

• Crossing the Chasm, by Geoffrey Moore

🤝 To connect with Teja:

• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tejasirec/)

🎤 To connect with Joachim Eeckhout, host of the podcast:

• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joachimeeckhout/)
• Contact form (https://www.thesciencemarketer.com/contact/)

✅ Subscribe to The Science Marketer newsletter: https://www.thesciencemarketer.com/

Micha Breakstone, CEO of Somite.ai, discusses how a single article in Forbes helped Somite to raise $5 million without having to chase investors, why branding Somite as a TechBio, rather than a Biotech, has helped to reduce the perceived risk for investors, and why early-stage science companies should focus their marketing efforts on specific objectives, like securing funding, attracting talent, or establishing partnerships.

In this episode, you'll learn:

02:13 The vision behind Somite.ai
04:18 Timing and strategy for launching Somite.ai
06:45 TechBio vs. Biotech: Understanding the difference
08:59 Partnership models in AI and Biotech
09:58 Creating a digital twin of a human embryo
12:00 Communication strategies for investors
14:09 Leveraging your scientific founders
16:27 Navigating the biotech landscape
17:58 Marketing strategies in science
20:38 Operational excellence and strategy
23:23 Commercialization models in TechBio
23:46 Marketing advice for science startups
26:03 Book recommendations for science communicators

Notes and references:
- The article from Forbes: This Startup Wants To Be OpenAI Of Stem Cell Therapy, Targets $250B Market
- Book recommendation: The Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee

To connect with Micha Breakstone:
- LinkedIn

- Somate.ai

To connect with Joachim Eeckhout, host of the podcast:
- LinkedIn
- Contact form

>>> Subscribe to The Science Marketer newsletter <<<

In this conversation, Dan Sheridan shares his journey from a PhD student to a successful freelance medical writer and agency owner. He discusses the importance of expertise over marketing, strategies for pricing, and the organic growth of his agency. Dan emphasizes the significance of building long-term client relationships and managing expectations effectively. He also explores the role of AI in medical writing, highlighting the value of human expertise in a field that requires deep scientific understanding.

📌 Here's what we cover in this episode:

00:00 Starting out as a freelancer during a PhD
09:42 Transitioning from freelancer to agency owner
16:36 Avoiding the race to the bottom when it comes to pricing
18:58 Scaling an agency while staying lean
23:39 Finding clients and building reputation as an agency
28:06 Navigating difficult client situations
30:42 The need for high-value content in life sciences
32:38 The role of AI in medical writing
35:31 Recommended resources for agency success

🧰 AI tool mentioned: Causaly (https://www.causaly.com)

📖 Book recommended: The Seven Figure Agency Roadmap by Josh Nelson

🤝 To connect with Dan:

• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dansheridan01/)
• Co-Labb (https://www.co-labb.co.uk/)

🎤 To connect with Joachim Eeckhout, host of the podcast:

• LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joachimeeckhout/)
• Contact form (https://www.thesciencemarketer.com/contact/)

✅ Subscribe to The Science Marketer newsletter: https://www.thesciencemarketer.com/